THE MISSION | Kathryn Alban
Kathryn Alban
Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 28:04
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Intro: The Mission Games:
“To give people the power to share and make the world more open and connected.”
FACEBOOK
“To organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.”
GOOGLE
“To inspire and nurture the human spirit – one person, one cup and one neighborhood at a time.“
STARBUCKS
“Bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete in the world.*
If you have a body, you are an athlete.”
NIKE
“We save people money so they can live better.”
WALMART
" Love The Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and, Love your neighbor as yourself" (Luke 10:27)
THE WAY CHURCH
Mission statements are important for every organization to have because it keeps them on track with achieving its goals and maintaining its values.
It is also useful to guide to keep everyone in the company in line with the company's values. Missions do not change.
It is what keeps a Pet Store from growing and selling plants.
Whichever company we work for/ or are involved with have their mission statements. But in life we are each given a personal mission.
Today we are going to talk about 3 different missions:
Satan’s mission against us
God’s mission for us
The mission give to us
Satan’s Mission Against Us
Satan’s Mission Against Us
Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made.
He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’ ” But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.
And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.
Cause us to Question God:
When we first see mention of Satan in Genesis 3, his very first tactic is to try and get Eve to question God’s word.
“Did God Actually say?”.... “You will not surely die”.
We see this again in the temptation of Jesus in the desert. Satan uses scriptures to try and convince, Jesus himself to question God.
and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written,
“ ‘He will command his angels concerning you,’
and
“ ‘On their hands they will bear you up,
lest you strike your foot against a stone.’ ”
Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’ ”
This questioning of God’s word led to the first sin.
2. To take us away from God:
When Adman and Eve listened to Satan in the garden, the first thing that happened is that they did not want to be in God’s presence.
Scriptures says they realized they were naked and make coverings for themselves. I think that this is as much metephorical as it is literal.
Maybe they realized they were physically naked but more than that they realized they were in a vulnerable state.
They were bare in their disobediance before God and for the first time they felt that shame....
Causing them to want to flee from God’s presence.
Which is what Satan wanted:
Satan’s ultimate goal is to use this questioning God’s word, leading us into sin and causing us to seek to be out of God’s presence...
They answered him, “Abraham is our father.” Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would be doing the works Abraham did, but now you seek to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. This is not what Abraham did. You are doing the works your father did.” They said to him, “We were not born of sexual immorality. We have one Father—even God.” Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and I am here. I came not of my own accord, but he sent me. Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to hear my word. You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies. But because I tell the truth, you do not believe me. Which one of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me? Whoever is of God hears the words of God. The reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God.”
Sin can blind us so much sometimes that even if we see God right infront of us not only do we not recognize him....but we deny him altogether.
Add illustration about the twisting of God’s word
God’s Mission for Us
God’s Mission for Us
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
1. Bring Life through Truth:
John 10:10 (ESV)
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
The person of Jesus came to untangle the web of lies satan created, and still tries to create in this world.
That we cannot earn salvation, that God is not dependent on us, that money and power do not buy joy.
2. To restore us to himself:
illustration about being restored to Christ.
God’s Mission is and has always been to be with us. Since the separation that sin caused, God has set out on a mission to restore his people to himself.
he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.
You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him. Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God. By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.
Jesus came to destroy the work of the devil.
Our Mission Give to Us
Our Mission Give to Us
Now God may specifically give us individual missions. He may call some to work in the medical field, or as a preacher, or as a counselor.
Even though we individually may be led to different occupations, we are all given the same Mission by God as his children.
Luke 10:27 (ESV)
And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.”
1. Love and Glorify God:
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love.
So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
From the very beginning God created us to be in relationship with him. He wants our hearts to be devoted to Him because that is when we fulfill what we have been created to do.
No matter where you are in life if you are loving God with everything that you are, if you are glorifying Him in everything that you do....then you are on mission.
Our works, the way we cary ourselves infront of others, the things we do for others....they should be done in order to bring Glory to our Father in heaven.....
If they are done to bring glory to ourselves....we are off mission.
If they are done to glorify those of this world…we are off mission.
If they are done to gain materialistic things…we are off mission.
Our first focus no matter who we are or what we are doing should be for God. In our actions, in our words, in our thoughts…we should be loving and glorifying Him.
2. Love OTHERS/ Share His Truth:
The first part of our mission given to us by God is to Love HIM, and the second part is to Love OTHERS.
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?
If we truly Love God that will overflow in our treatment of others.
Even those who wrong us. Who hurt us…our mission is to LOVE.
Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.
Our mission is to Love God and then Love others the same way that God has loved us.
(While we were yet sinners Christ died for us) We are to love with this kind of Love.
Apart of this love is sharing the truth we have with all of those around us.
What is that truth? His word…the gospel.
(Not getting tangled in the opinions of the world)
After Jesus’ resurection he was on earth for 40 days ministering to his disciples and preparing them for ministry.
One the last day Jesus spoke these words before ascending into heaven:
He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
Matthew 28:19–20 (ESV)
Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Conclusion:
This leaves us with the question to ask ourselves.
“Am I on mission?”
Do I allow the temptations of satan to tare me away from the presence of God? To make me question God’s word and authority?
........or do I trust in God’s plan?
The beautilful thing about God’s mission is that in order to follow it the only thing that has to change is you.
It does not depend on your circumstances, it does not depend on how much money you have. It does not depend of whether or not you have a degree in biblical studies.
All it takes is you being fully surrendered, exactly where you are at to God.
Loving HIm above all else…and loving others as yourself.